Cupola update

According to http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0410/12cupola/ the Cupola
has now arrived at KSC.

They say it is due to be launched on "Station assembly mission 14A
(Shuttle mission STS-133) in early 2009. It will be installed on the
forward port of Node 3, a connecting module to be installed in 2008."

This seems to sort of match
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/future/index.html
which shows the Cupola on 14A. This one doesn't seem to mention Node
3, though.

Jim Kingdon wrote:
They say it is due to be launched on "Station assembly mission 14A
(Shuttle mission STS-133) in early 2009. It will be installed on the
forward port of Node 3, a connecting module to be installed in 2008."

What is the official status of Node 3 ?

Funded ?
Who will build it ? (Alenia or Boeing ?)

Or is this still just a planned module awaiting official funding with as much
of a chance to fly as FBG-2 ?

On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 23:57:58 -0400, John Doe wrote:

Jim Kingdon wrote:
They say it is due to be launched on "Station assembly mission 14A
(Shuttle mission STS-133) in early 2009. It will be installed on the
forward port of Node 3, a connecting module to be installed in 2008."

What is the official status of Node 3 ?

Funded ?
Who will build it ? (Alenia or Boeing ?)

Or is this still just a planned module awaiting official funding with as much
of a chance to fly as FBG-2 ?


Here is a planning chart from September 2004 that shows Node 3
being launched on STS-130 in 2008.

http://images.spaceref.com/news/2004/09.10.04.FAWG.pdf


Here's a diagram of the ISS that the "ISS Heads of Agency"
endoursed on July 23, 2004. It shows Node 3 and the Cupola.

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/62847main_ISS_config_072304.pdf


Joint Statement: International Space Station Heads Of Agency Meeting -
July 23, 2004

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2004...ation_HOA.html


- Rusty Barton

On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 23:57:58 -0400, John Doe wrote:

Jim Kingdon wrote:
They say it is due to be launched on "Station assembly mission 14A
(Shuttle mission STS-133) in early 2009. It will be installed on the
forward port of Node 3, a connecting module to be installed in 2008."

What is the official status of Node 3 ?

Funded ?
Who will build it ? (Alenia or Boeing ?)

Or is this still just a planned module awaiting official funding with as much
of a chance to fly as FBG-2 ?

Here is a page on the ESA website about Node 3 from 19 July 2004.

http://www.esa.int/export/esaHS/ESAFQL0VMOC_iss_2.html

From the web page:

"Ownership and development authority

Technical and programmatic responsibility delegated by ESA to ASI.

Delivered to NASA (final owner) under a barter agreement for the
launch of the European Columbus Laboratory by the US Space Shuttle

Main contractor

Alenia Spazio (Turin, Italy), leading a consortium of European
sub-contractors"


- Rusty Barton

Rusty Barton wrote:
Here's a diagram of the ISS that the "ISS Heads of Agency"
endoursed on July 23, 2004. It shows Node 3 and the Cupola.

Joint Statement: International Space Station Heads Of Agency Meeting -
July 23, 2004

None of this stuff confirms that the USA government has given budgets and
green light for NASA to contract for the contruction of Node 3.

All I see in there and fancy graphics showing that the technical folks agree
to this configuration. I also have plenty that show the station with the
previously agreed configuration with a large US hab module hanging below Unity
and a CRV attached to it with Cupola on port side of Unity.

Until NASA starts to talk about moving Node 3 to KSC for integration tests, I
won't really bet much money. Remember that they had already begun to build one
hab when it was cut. They had begun to test Transhab when it was cut.

Rusty Barton wrote:
Here is a page on the ESA website about Node 3 from 19 July 2004.

http://www.esa.int/export/esaHS/ESAFQL0VMOC_iss_2.html
Delivered to NASA (final owner) under a barter agreement for the
launch of the European Columbus Laboratory by the US Space Shuttle

Well that page has a scheduled launch date of July 2005 ! (doubtful that
schedule can be met :-)

Also, wasn't node 2 the one that Europe built in exchange for Shuttle
luanching Colombus ?

http://www.esa.int/export/esaHS/ESAFQL0VMOC_iss_2.html

Although the last update on that page is 19 July 2004 (according to
the bottom of the page), not all the information is that up to date.
Notably, it shows flight 20A as flying in July 2005, which clearly is
a pre-Columbia date.

Now, it does seem to imply that the bulk of the funding for Node 3
would seem to be in the hands of the Europeans. So it would not seem
to be particularly vulnerable to the same NASA priorities-du-jour
which have been such a roller coaster for the Hab and some other
modules.

Jim Kingdon wrote:

http://www.esa.int/export/esaHS/ESAFQL0VMOC_iss_2.html

Although the last update on that page is 19 July 2004 (according to
the bottom of the page), not all the information is that up to date.
Notably, it shows flight 20A as flying in July 2005, which clearly is
a pre-Columbia date.

This document probably predates Columbia's accident by a number of years. Even
without Columbia's accident, it is extremely doubtful that a Node-3 could have
been lauched by 2005, cosidering how many flighst were still needed to
complete the truss, then send node2, kibo, colombus lab and all the normal
resupply flights in there.

Note that the document mentions that it will support cupolla, hab, CRV and PMA3

So it is definitely not current.

John Doe wrote:

Also, wasn't node 2 the one that Europe built in exchange for Shuttle
luanching Colombus ?

I was under the impression that both Nodes 2 *and* 3 were part of that
deal. Since ESA still want a launch for Columbus, you can bet that
they're pushing ahead with Node 3 to pay for it.

--Chris

Chris Bennetts wrote:
I was under the impression that both Nodes 2 *and* 3 were part of that
deal. Since ESA still want a launch for Columbus, you can bet that
they're pushing ahead with Node 3 to pay for it.

Well, building 2 whole modules seems to be quite a price to pay in exchange
for one launch.

Also, with the newly redeseigned station (hab integrated in Node 3), won't the
specs for node3 have changed rather significantly ?

And while ESA may build the basic node structures, is it correct to assume
that the racks will be supplied by the USA ? (ECLSS, toilet, data/comms, and
the roomettes) ? What is the status of those systems ? Are they funded ? is
there work going on ?